VETERANS' VOICES: Miriam Phillips

Miriam PHILLIPS was the sixth of 11 children born to Robert and Alice Phillips (née Andrews) in 1884 at Stawell.

Miriam took up a nursing career and trained at the Public Hospital, Perth, before she transferred to the Home of Peace Hospital in Subiaco, Perth.

She was appointed matron in March 1913 in charge of the infectious diseases hospital.

The hospital had been established as a home for the elderly and those with incurable diseases, built and opened in 1902 and called 'Home of Peace for the Dying and Incurable'.

At the age of 33 Miriam enlisted on September 24 1917 in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) as a staff nurse at the 8th Australian General Hospital, Fremantle, Western Australia.

She sailed from Freemantle on Ormonde on March 13 1918 and disembarking in Bombay, India, where she was billeted on Hospital Ship Egypt.

In May 1918 she was transferred to the Colaba War Hospital in Bombay, where she mainly nursed patients from the British Garrisons in India.

She remained there until October 11 1918 when she was transferred to the King George War Hospital in Poona (now spelled Pune), India.

Pune is a city in the state of Maharashtra in Western India.

The King George Hospital was renamed the Deccan British War Hospital, set up at the campus of the college of agriculture as a temporary medical facility between May 1916 and April 1919 to meet the medical needs of British soldiers.

The hospital served as an important venue to treat wounded and ill British soldiers who were fighting in the eastern front during World War I.

Reports in both Australian newspapers and family correspondence relay the significance of the hospital,as the majority of nurses who worked in the Deccan British War Hospital were from Australia.

AANS was a unit that provided a pool of trained civilian nurses who had volunteered for military service during wartime.

During World War I more than 2286 women joined the AANS AIF for overseas service.

From July 1916 to 1919, some 560 members of the AANS served in India.

They found themselves challenged by cultural differences with the local staff and the English sisters, nursing exotic diseases in primitive medical conditions and coping with a vastly different climate.

The nurses cared for patients with diseases such as malaria, smallpox, Spanish influenza and cholera, in trying climatic conditions.

They worked in the most appalling heat imaginable, with some temperatures in the hospitals ranging from 46°C to 51°C.

After her nursing service had finished, Miriam was transferred to Bombay and finally sailed for Singapore on November 17 1919 on board Dilwarra and then for Australia on board the ship Charon.

She disembarked in Freemantle and was discharged from AANS on January 18 1920.

After her discharge, Miriam returned to the Home of Peace Hospital in Perth and continued her duties as matron, including general supervision of the hospital.

It was said that during the time she was connected with the home she alleviated the suffering of countless people, doing everything within her power to brighten the lives of those placed in her care.

Miriam retired just before her wedding on June 18 1936 to Harrie John Wilkins of Kondinin, WA.

After their marriage they moved and resided at Mt Pleasant, WA.

Miriam died on July 19 1963 in Perth, aged 79.

She was cremated and her ashes were scattered at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth.

Three of Miriam’s brothers also served in World War I.

Robert Hugh Phillips No 5667 was a private in the 23rd Battalion, AIF; he also served in World War II.

The second brother, Walter Murray Phillips, service number 2769, served in the AIF 22nd Battalion.

He was killed in action in France on May 3 1917 and is buried at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial) in France.

The third brother, Herbert (Bert) Balderson Phillips, service number 6563, was a corporal and served with the AIF 7th Battalion before returning back to Australia.

He died in 1940 and is buried in Springvale Botanical Cemetery.

A newspaper article in 1917 read:

An official announcement reached Mr and Mrs R Phillips, Doctor's Creek, Stawell, to the effect that their son, Private WM (Murray) Phillips was reported missing on the 3rd of May. Pte Phillips has been with the AIF for close on two years. His brother (Pte Bert Phillips) was recently reported wounded and their sister (Matron Miriam Phillips) in Western Australia has been accepted for service abroad.

– KEN FLACK, Horsham RSL Military History and Heritage Centre

With thanks: Sally Bertram, RSL Military History Library. Contact Sally at sj.bertram@hotmail.com or call 0409 351 940.